Deep sofa: how many centimetres that is, and who it does not suit
"I want a soft sofa, one I can sink into" — that is what we hear most often in the showroom. And almost every time it turns out the person is not talking about softness. They are talking about depth. A soft sofa with a shallow seat is just a soft sofa. You sit upright, feet on the floor, back against the backrest, all correct. You will not sink into it, however soft it is. A deep sofa allows the thing people actually buy a sofa for: climbing up with your feet, lying across it, curling up with a book and forgetting about posture.
How many centimetres make a sofa deep
We call a sofa deep when its seat depth is 80 cm or more. For comparison: on an ordinary sofa it is around 55–60 cm — enough to sit on, not enough to sit with your feet up. Two things get confused here constantly, so it is worth separating them:
- Seat depth — from the front edge to the backrest. This is what decides whether you can sit with your feet up.
- Overall depth — the whole sofa including the backrest. This is what you measure against the room.
The difference between the two is 20–30 cm. Someone sees an overall depth of 110 cm, thinks "good, that's deep", and the seat is 60. And the other way round: a sofa with a 90 cm seat needs noticeably more room than the photograph suggests.
Softness and depth are different things, and you need both
A deep sofa can be made firm — and you will sit on it as if on a platform. A soft one can be made shallow — and you will not climb into it. Only the combination works. For us this is straightforward: we do not save on the filling and we do not fit hard armrests or backrests. The armrest on our sofas is soft, because people rest their head on it, not an elbow for two seconds. The backrest is soft, because people throw themselves back into it. It sounds obvious, but look closely at the market — it is full of sofas where only the seat is soft.
Who a deep sofa does not suit
It would serve us well to write that a deep sofa suits everybody. It does not.
- If you are under 165 cm tall, your feet will not reach the floor on a deep seat when you sit upright. It is liveable — put a cushion behind your back — but it is a daily compromise.
- If there are older people in the house, getting up from a deep, soft sofa is harder. This is a real reason people regret the choice later.
- If the room is small. A deep sofa eats space twice: by its size, and because you have to leave a walkway in front of it.
- If the sofa is mainly for guests around a table. For dinner a deep seat is awkward — you end up perched on the edge.
If none of these is you — take the deep one and do not hesitate.
How to test a sofa so you do not regret it
- Sit on it for ten minutes, not ten seconds. First impressions of a sofa are always good. Discomfort shows up in the fifth minute.
- Climb up with your feet. This is the main test of a deep sofa. If it does not work, the sofa is not deep, whatever the spec sheet says.
- Stand up. Several times. Especially if you are not choosing only for yourself.
- Measure the room before, not after. And count the walkway in front of the sofa, not only the footprint under it.
Our deepest sofas and their seat depth
- Topchan — 95 cm. Effectively a soft platform you live on rather than sit on. The deepest sofa we make.
- Solar — 85 cm.
- Pangea — 85 cm.
- Prostir — 85 cm. The name is not accidental: in Ukrainian it means "space".
- Hermes — 84 cm. Depth plus a calm, architectural shape.
- Monomakh — 82 cm. There is also a larger version, Monomakh Big.
So even the shallowest of these six is 22 centimetres deeper than an ordinary sofa. And the gap between the Topchan and an ordinary sofa is 35 cm — a whole cushion. All models are in the sofa catalogue.
Depth can be ordered
This is the most useful thing to take from the whole article: if you like a model but the depth is not enough, it can be increased. Almost all our sofas are modular, so depth, length and configuration are assembled around your room, not the other way round. Which means the choice between "a beautiful sofa" and "a deep sofa" does not really exist. The question is how much floor space you are willing to give up.
Fabric: a deep sofa wears differently
People live on a deep sofa. They lie on it, eat on it, fall asleep on it; children and cats climb onto it. The fabric works harder here than on an ordinary sofa, where people mostly sit. So look for something that cleans easily, and if you have animals, for hard-wearing fabrics. Seeing them in person is always better: the full fabric gallery is on the site, and the samples are in our showroom in Cascais, at Joaquim Teotónio Segurado 68A.
Why we speak about this with confidence
We have been making upholstered furniture since 2011. Over 60 people work at the factory, around 90% of them with us for nearly 15 years, and six people work on a single sofa. In 15 years we have never missed a production deadline. Our price is the same for everyone, with no haggling, and the photographs on the site are real, not 3D renders — because a sofa should be judged as it will arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Which sofa counts as deep?
One with a seat depth of 80 cm or more. An ordinary sofa has 55–60 cm.
What is the seat depth of Interia's deep sofas?
Topchan — 95 cm, Solar — 85 cm, Pangea — 85 cm, Prostir — 85 cm, Hermes — 84 cm, Monomakh — 82 cm.
How does seat depth differ from overall depth?
Seat depth runs from the front edge to the backrest and decides whether you can sit with your feet up. Overall depth is the whole sofa including the backrest, and it is what you measure against the room. The difference is 20–30 cm.
Which Interia sofa is the deepest?
Topchan, with a seat depth of 95 cm.
Can a standard model be ordered with greater depth?
Yes. Almost all our sofas are modular; depth, length and configuration are made to your size.
Who is a deep sofa not suitable for?
People under 165 cm will find it uncomfortable to sit upright, older people find it harder to get up, and in a small room a deep sofa takes up too much space.
Is a deep sofa always soft?
No. Depth and softness are separate characteristics. A deep sofa can be firm, so both need checking.
How long does a sofa take to make?
An individual order takes 25 to 44 working days.
